Folding crate or coop.



No. 634,03L 4 Patented Oct. 3, .1899.

(LE. ROGERS. FOLDING CRATE OR COOP.

(Application filed Int. 23, 1899.)

(No Model.)

wifmaozs Tu: norms anus c0. mom-um WASHKNQTON, IL c UNITED STATES PATENTQOFFICE.

CLARENCE E. ROGERS, OF HARPER, KANSAS.

FOLDING CRATE COOP.

SPECIFICATION forming-part of Letters Patent No. 534,031, dated October 3, 1899.

Application filed March 23, 1899. Serial No. 710,2?1. (ITO model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that LICLARENOE E. ROGERS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Harper, in the county of Harper and State of Kansas, have invented a certain new and useful Folding Crate or Coop, of which the following is a specification.

. My invention relates to crates for shipping crates or coops and the return freight on them Owing to the great saving in I when empty. freight on return crates and coops by making them .to fold or knockdown many elforts have beenxmade to furnish a crate cheap as to first cost and. strong and durable which will fold compactly and easily; but none of such efforts have been attended with entire success.

It is the object of my invention to provide a folding coop or crate which will as near as may be overcome all objections to crates now in use; and with thisobject in view my invention consists in a folding coop or crate embodying the improved construction, arrangement, and combination of parts hereinafter fully described and afterward specifically pointed out in the claim.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention most nearly appertains to make and use the same, I willnow proceed to describe its construction and operation, having reference'to the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof, in which Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a crate orcoop constructed in accordance with my invention set up and cl0sed,as when shipped full. Fig. 2 is a top planyiew of'the bottom with sides and ends hinged thereto, one side being folded on top of the bottom and the other lying out in line therewith and one end lying out in line with the bottom and the other folded under it, the latter being indicated in dotted lines. Fig. 3 is a perspective View illustratin g a removable partition, and Fig. 4: is a transverse vertical section through the crate or coop folded for return shipment.

. Like letters of reference mark the same parts in all'the figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings by letters, Aindicates the bottom, preferably made of sheetiron, although it may be made of' wood or other material, having transverse cleats B on its inner side.

O D indicate the sides, in this instance shown as composed of slats, although I contemplate making them solid, of metal or wood or of'woven wire-cloth or other suitable materials, such materials being alsoapplicable in the manufacture of the ends, top, and pan titions, to be hereinafter described. The sides are stiifened and strengthened by transverse cleats C (l and D D secured upon the outside, and are attached to the bottom by hinges E, secured to the inside of the bottom and sides, in'line with the cleats, so that said sides maybe folded down on the upper face of the bottom or stood up at right angles thereto, as maybe desired.

F and G indicate the ends, which, like the sides, are strengthened by transverse cleats F G, the cleats, however, being placed inside instead of outside, and these ends are attached to the bottom by means of hinges H, secured on the outside of the ends and.

the under face of the bottom, the result of this arrangement of the hinges being that the ends can be folded flat against the under face of the bottom or swung around to a position above and at right angles to the bottom,

but cannot be swung any farther inward.

I indicates the top or cover, which is constructed with depending flanges J all around,

so as to overlap the sides and ends when. in

their uprightpositions, as shown in Fig. 1,

theends in this position standing between the sides and preventing them from being folded or falling inward and the dependent flanges of the top preventing either sides or ends-from falling outward.

K indicates hooks on the flanges of the top or cover and engaging eyes or staples on the sides, whereby the cover is firmly held in position.

L indicates a partition which may or may not be used and which is provided with pins M, projecting from its lower edge to engage holes N inthe bottom, and with parallel cleats O, projecting from its upper edge .to engage a vertical slat or cleat P on theinside of the cover.

"When emptied and to be returned or stored, the crate or coop is folded, as shown in Fig. 4, in which position the sides are folded down on the upper face of the bottom, the ends fold ed upon the under face of the bottom, the par tition (when one is used) laid on the under face of the bottom between the ends, and the top placed over the folded ends and partition, the sides being secured by a hook Q and the top by the hooks K, suitable eyes being provided for engaging said hooks.

The advantages attending the use of my invention are many and obvious. The whole structure is held stiff and rigid while in use, so that it will not be injured by piling ordinary boxes or packages upon it, and it can be readily folded into a compact bundle for return shipment. It may be cheaply made and be strong, light, and easily portable.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

In a folding crate or coop, the combination with the bottom having a transverse series of holes, folding sides and ends, a cover pro- 

